The NCCHC Foundation, the philanthropy and fundraising arm of the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, has announced its Board of Trustees for 2026.
Pauline Marcussen, DHA, RHIA, CCHP, an NCCHC Foundation board member since 2025, is the new chair. Dr. Marcussen retired after a 25-year career with the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, most recently as health care services administrator. She has been the American Health Information Management Association liaison to the NCCHC board of representatives since 2010, served as chair in 2023, and also chaired the CCHP (Certified Correctional Health Professionals) Board of Trustees.
She replaces Sharen Barboza, PhD, CCHP-MH, who served as chair since 2023 and remains on the Fundraising Committee.
For 2026, the Foundation welcomes new board members: Mike Dillman, MSN, RN, CCHP, chief operating officer of CorrHealth; Jeffrey Fetter, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and chief medical officer at New Hampshire Hospital; and Elizabeth Samson, LMHC, CCHP, vice president of quality improvement at Wellpath.
In 2026, the NCCHC Foundation will advance several major initiatives including the nationwide release of its free Reentry Toolkit, designed to help correctional facilities strengthen reentry planning and reduce recidivism.
The Workforce Development Committee has launched a research collaboration to examine recruitment and retention barriers in correctional health care leadership and will publish a white paper to inform national strategies. The committee is also creating a free Preceptorship Program and database within the NCCHC Career Center to support training and mentorship for new professionals entering the field, and is actively seeking those interested in serving as preceptors.
In addition, the Fundraising Committee will seek to expand support for free CME webinars as well as introducing more conference-based fundraising experiences, building on the success of events like the 2025 Cruise for a Cause.
NCCHC Foundation 2026 Board of Trustees
- Pauline Marcussen, DHA, RHIA, CCHP (chair)
- Brandon De Julius, MBA, CCHP-A
- Mike Dillman, MSN, RN, CCHP
- Jeffrey Fetter, MD
- Brenda Fields, RN, RHA, CCHP
- August (Augie) Ghilarducci, MBA
- Keith Ivens, MD
- Robert Morgan, PhD
- Deborah Ross, CCHP
- Elizabeth Samson, LMHC, CCHP
